World Anti-Doping Agency appeals Jannik Sinner's doping case

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has lodged an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the doping case of Italian tennis world number one Jannik Sinner, the agency said on Saturday.

WADA said in a statement the appeal was filed on Thursday.

It comes after Sinner escaped a ban by a tennis agency despite two positive tests for a banned steroid.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) revealed in August that the Italian tested positive twice for low levels of clostebol in March, a few weeks after his first grand slam title at the Australian Open.

The ITIA absolved Sinner of fault and negligence as it accepted his explanation that the substance had accidentally entered his system via a product his physiotherapist had used to treat a small wound.

He lost ranking points and prize money because one of the positive tests came at the Indian Wells Masters tournament, where he reached the semi-finals.

The ITIA ruling could be appealed by WADA as well as Italian doping authorities.

In the statement on Saturday, WADA said that in its view "the finding of 'no fault or negligence' was not correct under the applicable rules."

Instead, the Montréal-based agency "is seeking a period of ineligibility of between one and two years" for Sinner, it said.

"WADA is not seeking a disqualification of any results, save that which has already been imposed by the tribunal of first instance."